XeNTiS TT Mark II Wheels Review

4th April 2012

Xentis wheels should look familiar to triathlon fans: you might have seen them on pro bikes at Kona, but until now they’ve been a rare sight in the UK. XeNTiS are now bringing in a full range and we were keen to get our hands on these radical-looking five-spoke carbon clinchers. The XeNTiS MARK2 TT are no lightweights at 1.8kg for the set; neither are they cheap. They use 65mm deep rims and XeNTiS’ own-brand hubs. At 24.6mm the rims are fairly wide too, so make sure your bike’s forks and stays will accommodate them before buying a set. On the road you can definitely feel their weight, both in getting up to speed and in cornering. Once you get going, however, they hold speed very well and don’t exhibit sideways flex. Handling in a wind takes some getting used to, even when it’s comparatively calm – we had to be vigilant when, for example, a truck passed us going in the opposite direction. Taking that and their weight into account we’d say these are aero wheels for the larger rider.

Verdict
These are stiff, bombproof and aero, but they’re a handful in crosswinds and heavy.